EU introduces online pharmacy logo to protect consumers

The European Commission Tuesday adopts an implementing regulation which sets out the design for a common logo for online pharmacies, and the technical requirements for ensuring its authenticity.

Online pharmacy's authentication has caused lots of concerns as the Europeans increasingly buying medicines from the website, said the statement.

Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health, said: "When buying medicines online, consumers must be aware that unless they buy from legally-operating online medicine suppliers, they run the risk of buying medicines that are falsified. Falsified medicines can be ineffective, harmful or even deadly. The Commission has established a common logo for online pharmacies so consumers can stay safe."

According to the new regulation, the logo should be attached on the pharmacy's website. By clicking it, consumers will be taken to the national regulatory authority's website, which lists all legally operating online pharmacies and other legally authorized retailers of medicine. There, the consumers can check the list and chose a legitimate medicine retailer.

The regulation should enter into force in the next four to six weeks, the statement said, but member states of European Union have one year to prepare for its application. The logo will fully be available in the second half of 2015.